wolf

My Wolf Mixed Media Collage for Sale – The Gentle Call of Wolf

Posted by Barbara Techel

Wolf Mixed Media Collage – The Gentle Call of Wolf – 9 x 12 on birchwood panel – $75.00 plus $8.00 shipping, can be purchased here. Message from Wolf (below) can be adhered to back or sent as separate copy. Let me know your preference when purchasing. For international shipping, please email me for cost.

As I wrote about in a recent blog post, it was laying down for a nap one afternoon that an image similar to this came into my mind. I knew then I wanted to recreate what I was seeing in my minds eye into a mixed media collage.

While I’d finished it about a week ago the message to go with it would take some time to come to the surface.

Wolf for me is all about the heart and she came to me during a time in my life when my heart was broken. While our hearts can feel such exhilaration of love we have a harder time when we experience pain and heartache. How often we want to push those uncomfortable feelings down when they come calling on our door step. But Wolf has taught me to keep my heart open.

And most importantly to feel all that I’m feeling.

So this piece is inspired by my dear friend, Wolf, who continues to walk beside me and encourages me every step of the way to be all of who I am – and especially during difficult times.

Below is the message that comes with this Wolf art piece:

The Gentle Call of Wolf

Wolf comes to you with an important message. There is nothing more important than your heart.

The heart brings joy, love, and peace. This is what inspires you to keep stepping into the one precious self that is you.

But the heart also experiences grief and anger. This is when you want to cry out in pain. To be seen and heard. But how often it is we hold back and don’t allow ourselves to feel. We suffer in shame and a cycle of self-judgment runs through us in a never-ending circle.

Wolf invites you to express your emotions. To howl it out into the Universe as you will be lovingly supported by Mother Nature, the animals, and the Divine.

As you do, this opens a space inside you where you are able to feel a flow of expansion and freedom. You are now able to embrace all of who you are without criticism. You see yourself anew and that you are indeed a magnificent part of the cosmos.

Know that Wolf walks with you every step of the way guiding you to embrace the fullness of you. And encourages you to trust your feelings as valid and important to be all you are meant to be.

With your heart leading the way, your passions and dreams come back into your consciousness once again as Wolf cheers you on to howl with pride and share your wisdom that will echo long after you’ve roamed this earth.

©Barbara Techel

My mixed media Animal Oracle Art thoughtfully blends together chosen images of animals that have inspired and/or captured my attention in some way!  Each image and corresponding backgrounds are enhanced with a variety of pastel chalks, pencils, markers, and paint. My collages include dried florals, leaves, and natural elements I discover on my walks such as acorns, feathers, stones, and tree branches, along with bits of discarded/recycled ephemera. Animal image and supporting images are then curated and adhered to create a dimensional effect that is gently and lovingly nestled with care into a 9 x 12 birchwood shadow box. Comes with an intuited oracle message that can be included on back of piece or sent as separate copy that serves as a guide to deepen the connection to yourself, animals, and nature.

XO

Barb

    

What Wolf Taught Me About Passion

Posted by Barbara Techel
My Wolf SoulCollage(r) card

No passion is too small. This is what I heard from one of the speakers during a women’s gathering webinar I recently listened to.

She went on to say that if your passion is making cookies, then make cookies with everything you’ve got.

I resonated with the speaker talking about how we think our passion has to be some grand thing, when in fact, it does not.

No wonder failure is something we carry around with us like a heavy load of bricks — especially women, who in my experience, seem to find fault in ourselves when something does not work out.

I believe we’ve also tied passion to earning money. I know I have. So when my expectations weren’t met in terms of financial gain, I’d tend to feel like I wasn’t good enough.

While at times it can still be a challenge for me, I’ve come a long way in realizing passion is so much more. It’s that feeling in my heart, when I’m in the bliss of what I love to do, that no amount of money could ever fulfill.

And that is what we need to be doing more of. That passion that lights us up…no matter what it is. That speaks to the depth of our soul. That makes time feel like an illusion, because when we are living more from that passionate place within, our whole being is alive.

During a guided visualization with a life coach a few years ago, struggling with where I was meant to go next on my life’s path and questioning my passion, it was when I saw a white wolf on my path.

I was sitting at the base of a mountain and a white wolf slowly walked toward me. When she sat at my feet my heart exploded into a knowing and I heard her tell me to never let that fire in my heart dim. She encouraged me to keep being who I am and let my heart lead the way.

I still remember to this day, driving home down the country roads after my coaching session knowing I had to capture that visualization in a tangible way. It was a month before I was scheduled to take the training to become a SoulCollage facilitator that I made my first SoulCollage card.

In doing so, I experienced the profound affect it had in helping me bring what was in my subconscious to live more fully into my consciousness by having this card of collaged images as a reminder – a reminder to always seek first what my heart knows best for my life.

And now, after listening to that lovely speaker, I’m reminded how passion can be anything we want it to be. And in my opinion, it can be more than one thing – just anything that lights that spark within – follow that. Follow it often. And find a way to capture it in words, images, or a creative way as a tangible reminder of what matters most to you.

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A Meditation: The Wolf and Me.

Posted by Barbara Techel

wolf and meOn Monday I had the opportunity to be taken through a guided meditation by the woman who was helping me through a recent challenge. It was our last session together as I’m feeling great to be on my way now with wonderful tools in place to return to if need be at some point.

But back to the guided meditation– I thought I’d step out of my comfort zone and share with you.

As I’ve mentioned lately, I’ve been opening myself more to being aware of what animal wisdom (besides my dogs) are trying to teach me. So it really should be no surprise what happened during the meditation, but yet, it has left me in awe.

During the guided meditation I found myself at the base of a mountain. When I looked around I saw a river and then saw a wolf nearby, howling with his snout pointed to the sky. At first I felt scared, but then was fascinated and quite curious that Wolf showed up.

The fear began to subside as he looked my way and we were looking into each others eyes.  I slowly walked closer  to a large rock that was next to Wolf. I sat down. After a few moments I reached out and stroked his fur. I wasn’t afraid. I was in complete awe of being in the presence of Wolf — an animal so many fear.

I was then asked to listen for a message from whatever Spirit was before me. I didn’t get anything at first. I told myself I was trying too hard — just be open — see what comes.

Wolf brought me a message that I’ve heard before when I’m working through something — this time I’m determined to take this in and honor it. But Wolf said, “You are worthy and loved. All will be okay.”

The next instruction was to stand behind Spirit, which was Wolf for me, and see through his eyes as Wolf/Spirit sees me. It came to me almost instantly as I saw myself as this huge red heart with a orange glow around it. Wow, I thought. Wolf/Spirit sees me as Love.

This brought tears to my eyes because how often we don’t see ourselves as Love — our mind beating ourselves up one thought after another. But the lesson that we are indeed a part of Spirit is one that we need to honor.

It was a powerful experience for me and I became quite emotional as I relayed it back after the meditation.

I drove home wanting to somehow capture what occurred so it would stay with me. And that’s when it came to me that I could create a SoulCollage card from my experience.

Not only was I so excited to create this card to honor Wolf and his teaching to me, but to honor myself… and quite tickled at how this is all unfolding just as I get ready to leave for the SoulCollage retreat this weekend.

The meditation and doing the SoulCollage is such a great reminder of the wisdom we have within us if we take the time to listen and pay attention.

—

The background photo of the mountain courtesy of my friend, Dawn who lives in Alaska. I love that it is part of my card too as Dawn has been an important part of my journey the past 2 1/2 years in very special ways.